Pitjantjatjara, often pronounced Pitjantjara, (emphasis on the first syllable) is one of the Western Desert family of languages found in Central and Western Australia. Speakers of the closely related language, Yankunytjatjara, will also be able to understand this Bible. It was originally spoken in the North West Corner of South Australia spilling over into Western Australia and the Northern Territory although, of course, then, there were no state borders. Today it is still widely spoken in that area particularly in what is now called the Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands in South Australia. Uluṟu and Kata Tjuṯa are important sites of the Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara people. The 2010 census puts the number of speakers at 2,363 but it also admits that figure is too low. The figure is more likely to be between 3,000 and 4,000. Translation of the Pitjantjatjara New Testament began in the early 1940s not long after the commencement of the Presbyterian Mission at Ernabella. The Gospel of Mark was completed at the end of 1945 and was finally published by the British and Foreign Bible Society in 1949. Work continued over the next 20 years resulting in the publication of a shorter New Testament in 1969 containing Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Ephesians, James and 1 John published by the same society, now renamed Bible Society in Australia. There was a period, then, of about 10 years in which no more translation was completed. In 1978, at the initiation of a local interest group in Ernabella, translation recommenced with portions of the Old Testament with the support of Bible Society Australia, Wycliffe Bible Translators, the Uniting Church in Australia and the Lutheran Church of Australia. This Pitjantjatjara Bible Translation Project became an incorporated association in 1981 and for the next 20 years, many Pitjantjatjara translators worked together with Wycliffe amp Bible Society translation advisors and consultants to complete a new translation of the New Testament and about 15% of the Old Testament. This volume was first published by the Bible Society in 2002. Reprints were done in 2007 (including some revisions), 2009, and 2014. In 2011 a new project to translate the rest of the Old Testament was initiated by a new generation of Pitjantjatjara translators –daughters and sons of the translators of the New Testament. There are currently over 20 translators working on various books of the Old Testament. The first book to be published in this new era was Daniel in 2015. In 2017-18 members of the Pitjantjatjara Bible Translation Project partnered with Bible Society Australia and Faith Comes by Hearing to do a dramatized multi-voice recording of the Pitjantjatjara New Testament. In the process a number of revisions were made and this edition reflects those changes.

Bible text: Pitjantjatjara © Bible Society Australia 2002, 2007, 2018 www.biblesociety.org.au Recording of the Bible ℗ Hosanna, 2018

Tjukurpa Palya

Ka Sunday mungawinki mulapa minyma panya tjuṯa pakaṟa kuḻpikutu anu nyiṯilpai wiṟu tjuṯatjara. Munuya ma-wirkaṟa nyangu apu panya puḻka kuḻpi tjaanguṟu uṉṯuṟa-waṉaṟa waṉinytja. Munuya unngu tjarpara Jesunya puṯu nyangu. Munuya ngaṟala puṯu kuliningi, “Yaaltjiringu?” Ka mapalku wati kutjara tjanala utiringu mantara piṟanpatjara munu wanangaṟa puṟunypa irnyaningi. Kaya puḻkaṟa nguḻuringkula pupakatira yunpangku pampuningi manta. Ka tjanala wangkangu, “Nyaaku nyura aṉangu wanka ngurini nyanga miriku ngurangka? Nyura ninti panya paluṟu nyurala ngaṉmanytju wangkangu Galileela panya nyinaralpi. Alatji paluṟu wangkangu, ‘Mirpaṉtju tjuṯangkuya Watiku Katjanya ungkuku wati kura tjuṯa, kaya palunya puṉu kaṯakutjarangka wakaṟa utitjunkuku. Ka paluṟu ilunytjatjanu tjiṉṯu kutjara wiyaringkunyangka piṟuku wankaringkula pakalku.’ Alatji panya paluṟunku wangkangi nyurala.” Kaya minyma panya tjuṯangku mulapaṯu kulinu paluṟu panya ngaṉmanytju wangkanytjitja munuya anu ngurakutu.
Munuya ngurangka wirkaṟa nintintja panya 11-ta munu kutjupa tjuṯangka kuḻu tjakultjunu uwankara panya tjanala angeltu wangkanyangka kulintjatjanungku. Minyma paluṟu tjana panya ini nyanganpa, Mary Magdalene-anya, Tjawananya, munu Mary-nya Jamesaku ngunytju munu minyma kutjupa tjuṯa kuḻu. Uwa, minyma nyanga paluṟu tjanaya iyantja panya tjuṯangka tjakultjunu, kaya puṯu mulamularingangi tjana ngunti wangkanyangka-palku. Munuya tjananya kuliningi kawakawaringkunyangka-palku. Palu Peternya pakaṟa wirtjapakaṉu kuḻpikutu, munu paluṟu kuḻpingka wirkaṟa nyirkiṟa nyangu mantara kutju ngarinyangka Jesunya panya karpintjitja. Munu paluṟu puṯu nyakula ngurakutu ankula iwarangka kuliṟinangi, “Nyaaku nyangatja alatjiringu?”


Ka tjiṉṯu pala palula Jesunya waṉalpai kutjara Jerusalemalanguṟu pakaṟa anu ngura ini Imayatjalakutu, panya ngura nyara paluṟu tjukutjuku paṯu nguwanpa ngaṟangi, tinanguṟu ankula mungartji tjarpanytjaku. Ka wati panya paluṟu pula iwarangka ankula wangkaṟinangi pula uwankara utiringkunyangka nyakunytjatjanungku. Ka pula wangkakatinyangka Jesunya pulala waṉaṟa tjunguringu munu pulala tjungu anangi. Palu pula wati kutjupa-palku kuliningi, panya Godalu pulanya kuṟu kampa kutjupanu puṯu palunya ngurkantankunytjaku.
Ka Jesulu pulala tjapinu, “Nyaa nyupali wangkaṟinanyi?”
Ka paluṟu pula tjapinnyangka ngaṟakatingu yunpa tjituṟu-tjituṟurira. Ka wati kutjungku ini panya Kuliya-patjalu wangkangu, “Palu nyuntu kutjun ngurpa nyinanyi? Ngura panya Jerusalemalan wanyu kuwari panya nyakunytja wiyaṯu?”
Ka Jesulu pulala tjapinu, “Nyaa nyupali wangkanyi?”
Ka pula wangkangu, “Panya Jesunya Nazarethanya nguraṟali wangkanyi wati panya wangkatjara Godalanguṟu pitjanytja. Panya aṉangu uwankarangku kulilpai paluṟu kutjungku tjukurpa wiṟu mulapa wangkanyangka munuya nyakupai kutjupa kutjupa tjuṯa kuḻu witulya puḻkangku palyannyangka. Ka panyaya nganampa nyanga mayatja tjuṯangku wati tjukurtjara kuranyitja tjuṯangku kuḻu Jesunya iluntankunytjaku wangkangu munuya palunya ma-ungu puṉu kaṯakutjarangka wakaṟa utitjunkunytjaku. Palu nganaṉa paṯaningi Jesulu nganaṉanya Israelkunu tjuṯa ngalkintjaku. Palu kuwari nyanga wiyaringulta, panya palunyaya iluntanu, ka nyangatja tjiṉṯu maṉkuraringu.
“Palu minyma tjuṯangku nganaṉala wiṟu tjakultjunu panya paluṟu tjana mungawinki mulapa kuḻpikutu ankunytjatjanungku. Munuya kunyu miri panya ngarinytjitja puṯu nyangu munuya pitjala nganaṉala tjakultjunu alatji panya tjana kunyu angelpa maṉkurpa nyangu, kaya kunyu tjanala tjakultjunu alatji, ‘Jesunya wankaringkula pakaṉu.’ Kaya kutjupa tjuṯa nganaṉalanguṟu ngapartji anu kuḻpikutu munuya palu puṟunypaṯu puṯu nyangu panya minyma tjuṯangku wangkanytja puṟunypa.” Alatji pula wangkangu.
Ka palulanguṟu Jesulu pulala wangkangu, “Nyupali ngurpa munu nyupali puṯu mulamularinganyi uwankara panya ngaṉmanytju wangkatjara tjuṯangku wangkanytjitjaku. Panya tjukurpa iriti nyiringka walkatjunkunytja ngaṟanyi, panya Godalu Christanya Wankaṟunkupainya pikatjararingkula ilunytjaku iyalku, ka nyara palulanguṟu kutju paluṟu ilunytjatjanu wankaringkula pakalku Godala tjunguringkula mayatja puḻka mulapa tiṯutjara nyinanytjikitja. Alatjiya wangkatjara tjuṯangku iriti walkatjunu.”
Munu palulanguṟu Jesulu pulala utiṟa wangkangu uwankara panya iriti wangkatjara tjuṯangku tjukurpa palunyatjara walkatjunkunytja, panya Moselu tjana wangkatjara maḻatja maḻatja tjuṯangku kuḻukuḻu.
Munuya ilaringu ngura panya Imayatjalakutu, ka Jesunya nguwanpa ma-waintaringu. Ka pula palunya markuṉu wangkara, “Wanyu ngalila nyina. Mungartjiringu nyangatja ka tjiṉṯu waṯalpi tjarpanyi.” Ka paluṟu mulapaṯu wantira nyinangu munu pulala tjungu tjarpangu waḻingka nyinanytjikitja.
Munu Jesunya pulala maiku tjunguringu taipulangka munu mai mantjiṟa Godala wangkangu, “Wiṟungkulanyan mai nyangatja ungu.” Munu palulanguṟu pulanya mai kaṯantaṟa ungu. Ka Godalu pulanya kuṟu aḻaṉu ka pula nyakula ngula kutju kuliṟa ngurkantanu, “Mulapa nyangatja Jesunya alatjiṯu.” Palu pula ngurkantankunyangka Jesunya mapalku arkayiringu. Ka pulanku wangkangu, “Panya Jesulu ngalila iwarangka pitjala wangkanyangka ngali kurunpa unytjunaringu, panya paluṟu mulapa ngalila Godaku tjukurpa tjuṯa utiṟa wangkangi.”
Munu pula mapalku pakaṟa maḻaku anu Jerusalemalakutu munu pula ma-wirkaṟa nyangu Jesuku panya nintintja 11 munu aṉangu panya kutjupa tjuṯa kuḻu tjunguringkula nyinanyangka. Kaya tjana wangkangi, “Mulapa Jesunya ilunytjatjanu wankaringkula pakaṉu. Paluṟu utiringu Simonta.” Ka wati panya kutjarangku ngapartji pitjala tjanala tjakultjunu Jesunya palula pulala iwarangka utiringkunytja munu paluṟu pulanya mai nyuma kaṯantaṟa ungkunytja. Munu pula palunya maḻa kutju ngurkantankunytjatjanungku tjakultjunangi tjanala.


Ka paluṟu pula kuwaripangku ngaṟala tjakultjunkunyangka Jesunya tjanala nguṟur-nguṟurpa utiringu munu tjanala wangkangu, “Pukuḻarimaya!” Palu tjana urulyaraṟa puḻkaṟa nguḻuringu munuya ngunti kulinu kurun-kurunpa-palku.
Ka Jesulu tjanala wangkangu, “Nyaaku nyura urulyaraṉi? Nyaaku nyura puṯu mulamularinganyi? Nyawaṉiya maṟa munu tjina kuḻu, panya ngayulu alatjiṯuṉa. Pampulaṉiya munuya mulamulariwa. Ngayulu panyaṉa. Nyanga aṉangu alatjiṯuṉa ngaṟanyi, panya kurun-kurunpa puntu nyanga ngayulu puṟunypa wiya.” Munu wangkanytjatjanungku tjanala nintinu palumpa maṟa munu tjina kuḻu.
Kaya palumpa panya nintintja tjuṯa puḻkaṟa alatjiṯu urulyaraṉu munuya pukuḻaringu kuliṟa, “Munta mulapampal nyangatja wankaringkula ngaṟanyi?”
Ka Jesulu tjanala tjapinu, “Kuka nyura kanyini?” Kaya palunya kuka antipina waṟutja ungu. Ka paluṟu tjanala miṟangka antipina panya mantjiṟa ngalkuningi.
Munu tjanala wangkangu, “Panyatja nyura kulini, panya ngayulu ngaṉmanytju nyurala nyinara wangkanytja? Panya Moselu tjana wangkatjara kutjupa tjuṯangku tjukurpa ngayunyatjara walkatjunu, munu Psalm tjuṯangka kuḻu Davidalu tjana ngayunyatjara walkatjunu. Ka panyaṉa nyurala ngaṉmanytju wangkangu tjukurpa nyanga paluṟu tjana uwankara ngula utiringkuku.”
Munu palulanguṟu Jesulu nyiringuṟu tjanala wangkara utiningi tjana tjukurpa tjukaṟurungku kulintjaku. Munu paluṟu tjanala wangkangu alatji, “Ngayulu panya Christanya Wankaṟunkupainya, ka panya nyiringka iriti walkatjunu tjukurpa ngayunyatjara alatji, ‘Ngula Godalu Wankaṟunkupainya iyalku ka paluṟu pikatjararingkula ilunytjatjanu tjiṉṯu maṉkurarira wankaringkula pakalku. Kaya palunya waṉalpai tjuṯangku aṉangu tjuṯangka tjakultjunkuku ngayunyatjara tjana kuranguṟu piiwiyaringkula kampa kutjuparinytjaku, ka Godanya tjanampa kalyparingkuku munu tjananya kura palyantjitjanguṟu kalypangku pungkuwiyangku wantiku. Paluṟu tjana tjukurpa nyangatja Jerusalemala-waraṟa wangkaku munuya palulanguṟu ngura winkikutu ankula tjakultjunkuku.’
“Uwa alatji nyiringka iriti walkatjunkunytja ngaṟanyi. Ka nyura panya nyangu ngayulu ilunyangka munu ilunytjatjanu wankaringkula pakannyangka kuḻu. Kaṉa nyara palulanguṟu nyuranya iyaṉi aṉangu tjuṯangka ankula tjakultjunkunytjaku uwankara nyura nyakunytjatjanungku. Palu kulilaya munuya ngura nyanga Jerusalemala nyinara paṯanma Godalu nyuranya ilkaṟinguṟu witulyankunytjaku. Panya ngayuku Mamangku nyurampa iriti kalkuṉu, kaṉa kuwari kalkuntjitja panya palunya nyuralakutu iyalku.”


Munu palulanguṟu Jesulu palumpa nintintja tjuṯa ma-katingu Piitjanilakutu, munu ngura nyara palula itingka wirkaṟa ngaṟangu, munu maṟa katuṟa tjananya wangkara pukuḻmanu. Ka paluṟu wangkara pukuḻmankunyangka Godalu palunya katuṟa katingu ilkaṟikutu. Kaya palunya pukuḻṯu waḻkuningi munuya wiyaringkula maḻaku anu Jerusalemalakutu pukuḻpa mulapa. Munuya palulanguṟu tjiṉṯu kutjupa tjiṉṯu kutjupa timpulangka tjarpara Godanya rawangku mirawaṉira waḻkuningi.

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